EP2493077A1 - Operating device for a domestic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an operating device (1) for a household appliance (2), which comprises a screen (3) designed as a touch screen, comprising a display, a transparent sensor field (4), with a first conductive layer (5) having a structure of sensitive at least substantially straight lines (Ze), each comprising a plurality of surface elements (7) connected to one another in a conductive manner, and a second conductive layer (6) having a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines (Sp) extending transversely to the Lines (Ze) of the first layer (5) extend, each with a plurality of surface elements (8) connected to one another in a conductive manner, wherein lines (9) are applied to the individual lines (Ze, Sp) on at least one edge (4a) of the sensor field (4). for connection to a microcontroller for determining a touch position on the panel (3) are mounted. In order to provide a permanently accurate and reliable sensing in a household appliance in harsh everyday life, the structure of the rows (Ze) and the structure of the columns (Sp) of the two superimposed layers (5, 6) is formed such that the surface elements (7) the first layer (5) and the surface elements (8) of the second layer (6) lie side by side in their operative relationship with the formation of a distance (A) from each other.

Description

The invention relates to an operating device for a household appliance which comprises a screen designed as a Berührschirm, with a display, a transparent sensor array, with a first conductive layer having a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines, each comprising a plurality of interconnected conductive surface elements and a second conductive layer having a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines, which extend transversely to the lines of the first layer, each having a plurality of conductive surface elements connected to each other, wherein on the individual lines on at least one edge of the sensor array lines to Connection with a microcontroller for determining a touch position are mounted on the sensor array.

A trained as Berührschirm operating device is from the WO 2007/024486 A2 known. Here, a structure of sensitive, straight lines with diamond-shaped surface elements is provided on a layer. On an underlying layer also diamond-shaped surface elements are arranged, which are each arranged adjacent to the upper surface elements.

From the EP 1 894 712 A1 For example, an oven operating device is known which comprises a layered structure of a carrier and conductive layers arranged on top of each other. The carrier with its layers is in turn attached to the underside of a glass plate, so that the glass plate on the top is the contact side.

The known operating devices have the disadvantage that a sufficient accuracy of the contact position is no longer given when the aperture is very thick or strong or at a designed as a glass plate aperture. Further, it may happen that a touch due to the thickness caused by the thickness of the aperture comes to no sensation when the panel is touched.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an operating device for a household appliance, which provides a reliable and accurate sensing of the contact position with a simple structure.

According to the invention this object is achieved by an operating device with the features of claim 1, and with a household appliance according to claim 11 and a kitchen appliance according to claim 12. Advantageous embodiments and modifications of the invention will become apparent from the respective following dependent claims.

The achievable with the invention advantages are that in the control panel with a simple microcontroller very reliable the exact position of a touch on the panel is detected. Reliable means that in rough household use with the pollution or moisture formation caused by dewing there are no operating errors or faulty operations. For this purpose, the structure of the rows and the structure of the columns of the two superimposed layers is formed such that the surface elements of the first layer and the surface elements of the second layer in their operational composite side by side to form a distance from each other. Furthermore, the individual surface elements each have a square or diamond-shaped basic shape with curved, S-shaped side lines of the border. As a result, different capacitance changes are effected in the edge regions, as a result of which the contact position can be determined very precisely and unambiguously. Overall, it is ensured that detected by the microcontroller capacitance changes or resistance changes can be clearly assigned to a narrow limited area on the panel, which is then identified as a contact surface. Furthermore, a clearly assignable signal change in electrical size is achieved even with a thick diaphragm, for example a 3 to 8 mm thick glass plate or plastic plate. In this case, the evaluation takes place in a digital-analog hybrid method, in which the area element with the strongest signal assignment is identified within predetermined limits and, furthermore, the signal strength of the adjacent areas for the assignment of the touch location is taken into account. For this purpose, it is advantageous that the surface elements formed as a conductive layer are adapted to cause a change in an electrical variable, such as electrical resistance or capacitance in a touch or approach to the sensor field.

In an advantageous embodiment, the distance has a width in the range of 0.02 to 1 mm. As a result, signal distortions due to capacitive couplings between the adjacent surface elements are reduced or avoided, which leads to an improved evaluation of the electrical variable or the size change. In a particular embodiment, the distance has a width in the range of 0.02 to 0.1 mm, wherein the total distance is substantially constant.

In an advantageous embodiment, the surface elements arranged in lines of the layer, which is closer to the aperture, greater than the surface elements of the underlying layer for the columns. It goes without saying that the two layers can also be exchanged, so that then the layer for the columns is arranged closer to the diaphragm. This increases the sensitivity for a change in capacitance in the underlying layer, whereby a compensation of the sensitivity is achieved. In this case, it is expedient that a single surface element of a column, that is to say the surface element of the deeper layer which is further removed from the contact surface, is made larger by a factor in the range of 1.1 to 1.5 than a single surface element of the line, ie the surface element of the lying closer to the contact surface layer.

In an advantageous development, a conductive surface element of a row, ie the layer closer to the contact surface, has a size in the range of 30 to 45 mm 2 and a conductive surface element of a column, ie a surface element on the layer further away from the contact surface, has a size in the range from 45 to 55 mm ^ 2. Although these rather large areas suggest an inaccurate contact position, this is not the case. Due to the rather large conductive surface elements, strong signal changes of electrical size are always reliably generated when the contact surface is touched with the finger. Since, due to the hybrid evaluation method, even smaller signal changes that are assigned to adjacent area elements are detected, these signal changes can be included to accurately determine the touch position. Movements of the touch position, as is the case with the so-called "sliding", can be detected quickly and cleanly due to the small number of conductive surfaces in connection with the strong signal changes and the consideration of the respectively adjacent surfaces.

Overall, it is expedient to form the surface elements of the first layer curved approximately in the form of a mirrored tulip, and to form the surface elements of the second layer corresponding to the curvatures of the first layer approximately in the shape of a mirrored heart. Thus, clearly assignable signals or signal changes are provided when the touch position is located exactly in the region of the gap between two surface elements or the finger acts only partially on a surface element and acts on an adjacent surface element only at the edge.

Overall, it is expedient to produce the aperture of the operating device made of glass or a transparent plastic. In this case, it is particularly advantageous that in the case of a glass panel with a thickness in the range of 3 to 8 mm or a plastic panel with a thickness in the range of 3 to 8 mm, a reliable detection of the contact position or of movements for a sliding contact with the panel is provided.

The invention also relates to a water-conducting household appliance such as washing machine, dryer washer-dryer or dishwasher with an operating device as described above. Here, the panel can be made of a fairly thick glass or plastic part, which provides an optical and haptic high-quality impression.

In an advantageous development, the diaphragm is formed as part of the housing. Thus, there are hardly any limits with regard to the design of the device, since no switches or rotary toggles need to be provided in the wall region functioning as a control panel. Overall, this simplifies the housing construction of the household appliance and also offers almost no restrictions in terms of design.

The invention further relates to a kitchen appliance, such as stove, oven or refrigerator with an operating device as described above. The control panel can be integrated particularly easily and offers a durable function due to its robustness against mechanical influences.

When using the operating device in a stove or oven, it is expedient to form the panel part through an area of a glass plate or a ceramic hob.

Fig. 1:

ein Haushaltgerät mit einer Bedienvorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Frontansicht;

Fig. 2:

das Sensorfeld der Bedienvorrichtung;

Fig. 3, 4:

einen detaillierten Ausschnitt des Sensorfeldes und

Fig. 5 bis 8:

eine schematische Darstellung des Schichtaufbaus für verschiedene Varianten.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and will be described in more detail below. Show it:

Fig. 1:

a domestic appliance with an operating device in a perspective front view;

Fig. 2:

the sensor field of the operating device;

3, 4:

a detailed section of the sensor field and

5 to 8:

a schematic representation of the layer structure for different variants.

Fig.1 shows as a household appliance, a washing machine 2 with a housing 19 in a front perspective view. In the upper area, based on the operational installation position of the device 2, the operating device 1 is arranged. The operating device 1 comprises a user-accessible touch-sensitive shutter 3, which has a sensor field 4 for the setting of programs and parameters for a microcontroller, which acts as a controller. In the aperture 3, a display is further arranged below the sensor field 4, which is used to display selectable programs or parameters or other information displays.

Fig. 2 The sensor array 4 comprises a first conductive layer 5 with a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines, which are referred to herein as lines Ze, each comprising a plurality of surface elements 7 connected to one another and a second conductive layer 6 with a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines, here columns SP, which extend transversely to the lines Ze of the first layer 5. Along the columns Sp are respectively several, interconnected surface elements 8 attached. On the individual lines Ze, Sp are at least one edge 4a of the sensor array 4 lines 9 for connection to a microcontroller (not shown) for determining a touch position on the sensor array 4 attached. The structure of the lines Ze and the structure of the columns Sp of the two superimposed layers 5, 6 is formed such that the surface elements 7 of the first layer 5 and the surface elements 8 of the second layer 6 in their operative association side by side to form a distance ( A) to each other. The layers 5, 6 can be applied to foils 15, 16 (FIG. Fig. 5 to 8 ) or glass, which are glued together to provide insulation and / or a dielectric. The sensor field 4 thus created is pressed or glued on the inside of a panel 3, with a transparent adhesive 11 (FIG. Fig. 5 to 8 ).

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged section of the sensor array 4. Here it can be seen that the individual surface elements 7, 8 each have a square or diamond-shaped basic shape 7b with curved, S-shaped side lines 7c of the border of the respective surface element 7, 8. The execution of the curvatures is chosen such that the surface elements 8 of the second layer 6, here the columns, each form the shape of a mirrored heart, the tips 8a show in the direction of the columns SP. The tips 8a of the individual surface elements 8 of the column SP are conductively connected to one another. In other words, the result is a strip with wavy edges, in which the bulbous area that forms the surface element 8, merges into a waisted area. In the waisted areas, the surface elements 7 of the first layer 5 are placed, which have approximately a mirrored tulip shape and thus fill the curved space of the waisted region to form an approximately constant distance A. The stem sides 7a of the tulips are connected together in the direction Ze of the lines.

A section according to Fig. 4 outlines a so-called approximately square structural element 10, which shows a measure of the grid of the sensor elements. In an advantageous embodiment, the structural element has a length or width in the range of 6 to 14 mm. In the embodiment shown, the side length 10a is about 10 mm. In this embodiment, the area of the portion of the surface elements 7 for the lines Ze is about 38.24 mm ^ 2 and the area of the portion of the surface elements 8 for the columns Sp is about 48, 73 mm ^ 2. It is altogether advantageous that the conductive surface elements 7 of a line Ze each have a size in the range of 30 to 45 mm 2 and the conductive surface elements 8 of a column Sp a size in the range of 45 to 55 mm 2.

The layer structure of the operating device 1, which is constructed as a touchscreen sensor, including the device panel 3, can be designed differently. Fig. 5 to 8 show appropriate embodiments in a sketched sectional view of the operating device. 1

• Blende 3;
• Kleberschicht 11 beispielsweise optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Schutzschicht 13;
• erste Schicht 5 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Träger 12 für die erste Schicht 5 und für die zweite Schicht 6, wie Folie oder Glas;
• zweite Schicht 6 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Schutzschicht 13.

In the variant according to Fig. 5 the layers are the structure in the following order from the panel to the inside of the unit.

• Panel 3;
• Adhesive layer 11, for example, optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Protective layer 13;
• first layer 5 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Carrier 12 for the first layer 5 and for the second layer 6, such as foil or glass;
• second layer 6 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Protective layer 13.

The carrier 12 in this variant also represents the dielectric.

• Blende 3;
• Kleberschicht 11, beispielsweise optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Träger 12 für die erste Schicht, wie Folie oder Glas;
• erste Schicht 5 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Schutzschicht 13
• Dielektrikum 14, beispielsweise aus Klebstoff
• Schutzschicht 15
• zweite Schicht 6 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Träger 16 für die zweite Schicht.

The variant according to Fig. 6 is constructed as follows, in the following order:

• Panel 3;
• Adhesive layer 11, for example, optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Backing 12 for the first layer, such as foil or glass;
• first layer 5 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Protective layer 13
• Dielectric 14, for example of adhesive
• Protective layer 15
• second layer 6 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Carrier 16 for the second layer.

• Blende 3;
• Kleberschicht 11, beispielsweise optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Schutzschicht 13
• erste Schicht 5 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Träger 12 für die erste Schicht, wie Folie oder Glas;
• Dielektrikum 14, beispielsweise aus Kleberstoff
• Schutzschicht 15
• zweite Schicht 6 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Träger 16 für die zweite Schicht.

The variant according to Fig. 7 is constructed as follows, in the following order:

• Panel 3;
• Adhesive layer 11, for example, optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Protective layer 13
• first layer 5 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Backing 12 for the first layer, such as foil or glass;
• Dielectric 14, for example made of adhesive
• Protective layer 15
• second layer 6 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Carrier 16 for the second layer.

• Blende 3;
• Kleberschicht 11, beispielsweise optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Schutzschicht 13
• erste Schicht 5 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Träger 12 für die erste Schicht 5, wie Folie oder Glas;
• Dielektrikum 14, beispielsweise aus Klebstoff
• Träger 16 für die zweite Schicht 6
• zweite Schicht 6 aus elektrisch transparenten leitendem Material, wie ITO;
• Schutzschicht 15.

The variant according to Fig. 8 is constructed as follows, in the following order:

• Panel 3;
• Adhesive layer 11, for example, optical clear adhestive (OCA);
• Protective layer 13
• first layer 5 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Carrier 12 for the first layer 5, such as foil or glass;
• Dielectric 14, for example of adhesive
• Carrier 16 for the second layer 6
• second layer 6 of electrically transparent conductive material, such as ITO;
• Protective layer 15.

For each variant, optionally one of the protective layers 13, 15 or both protective layers 13, 15 may be omitted, if the protection and the function of the electrically conductive layers 5, 6 in cooperation with the dielectric 14 is ensured by the formation of the other layers. In all outlined variants, the display 18 is arranged below the last layer in the interior of the operating device 1 or in the interior of the device.

Claims (12)

Operating device (1) for a household appliance (2), which comprises a screen (3) designed as a contact screen, with a display, a transparent sensor field (4), with a first conductive layer (5) having a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines (Ze) each comprising a plurality of surface elements (7) connected to one another in a conductive manner and a second conductive layer (6) having a structure of sensitive, at least substantially straight lines (Sp) extending transversely to the lines (Ze) the first layer (5) extend, each with a plurality of interconnected conductive surface elements (8), wherein at the individual lines (Ze, Sp) at least one edge (4a) of the sensor array (4) lines (9) for connection to a Microcontroller for determining a contact position on the diaphragm (3) are mounted, characterized
in that the structure of the rows (Ze) and the structure of the columns (Sp) of the two superimposed layers (5, 6) are formed such that the surface elements (7) of the first layer (5) and the surface elements (8) of the second Layer (6) in their operational composite side by side to form a substantially uniform distance (A) to each other and that the individual surface elements (7) each have a square or diamond-shaped basic shape (7b) with curved, S-shaped side lines (7c) of Have border. Operating device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the surface elements (7, 8) formed in the conductive layers (5, 6) are adapted to change a size, such as electrical resistance or capacitance, upon contact with or proximity to the diaphragm ( 3) effect. Operating device (1) according to claim 1,
characterized,
that the distance (A) has a width in the range of 0.02 to 1 mm. Operating device (1) according to claim 1,
characterized,
that are arranged in rows surface elements (7) are smaller than the layer (5) which is closer to the aperture (3), as the surface elements (8) of the layer underlying (6) for the columns (Sp). Operating device (1) according to 3 or 4,
characterized,
that a single flat element (8) of a column (Sp) by a factor in the range of 1.1 to 1.5 is greater than a single surface element (7) of the line (Ze). Operating device (1) according to 4 or 5,
characterized,
that a conductive surface element (7) of a row (Ze) has a size in the range of 45 to 55 mm ^ 2 a size in the range of 30 to 45 mm ^ 2 and a conductive surface element (8) of a column (Sp). Operating device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 3 to 6,
characterized,
in that the surface elements (7) of the first layer (5) are curved in approximately the shape of a mirrored tulip, and in that the surface elements (8) of the second layer (6) correspond to the curvatures of the first layer (5) approximately in the mold a mirrored heart are formed. Operating device (1) according to one of claims 1 or 3 to 7,
characterized,
that the panel (3) consists of glass or a transparent plastic. Water-conducting household appliance (2), such as washing machine, dryer washer-dryer or dishwasher with a housing (17) with an operating device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8. Water-conducting household appliance (2) according to claim 9
characterized,
that the diaphragm (3) is formed as part of the housing (17). Kitchen appliance, such as stove, oven or refrigerator with an operating device (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8. Stove according to claim 11, comprising a glass plate or a ceramic hob,
characterized,
in that the cover part (3) is formed by a region of the glass plate or of the ceramic field.

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